After last season's bonanza of quality rookies, some letdown was perhaps to be expected, but I have been surprised at quite how badly so many of this season's rookies have played. Which is not to say they won't go on to successful careers, or even turn things around over the final two thirds of the season - but teams handing out a lot of playing time to rookies this season have inherited a lot of grief. Let's run down the NL rookies first, breaking them out by their level of success - I may not have caught everyone here who has pitched 10 innings and some of them did play last season but I think all these guys are still eligible for the Rookie of the Year award:

Success Stories

Batters

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

AB

AVG

SLG

OBP

Other

Hunter Pence

24

OF

HOU

128

.375

.625

.403

5 BB, 21 K

Mark Reynolds

23

3B

AZ

65

.385

.708

.446

Josh Hamilton

26

OF

CIN

119

.261

.521

.336

Tony Abreu

22

3B

LAD

38

.342

.500

.333

0 BB, 4 K

Norris Hopper

28

OF

CIN

70

.329

.414

.356

4 SB

The pickings are slim here - only Pence and Hamilton have had anything like a full audition in terms of playing time, Hamilton and Hopper are too old to be prospects (although Hamilton is a unique case). Reynolds does look like a serious prospect, though, and if a non-pitcher is going to win the Rookie of the Year Award, he's probably as good odds as anyone, and way better odds than anyone but Pence. Not that I mean to slight Pence, who has really been tremendous. Hopper, of course, gets demerits for nearly killing Ryan Freel.

Pitchers

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

IP

ERA

BB/IP

K/IP

Other

Kevin Cameron

27

RP

SD

20.1

0.44

6.64

7.97

0 HR, 10 H

Micah Owings

24

SP

AZ

46.2

3.86

3.66

6.56

4-1

Joe Smith

23

RP

NYM

24.2

1.46

3.28

10.22

27 G

Manuel Corpas

24

RP

COL

28.0

2.57

3.21

7.39

28 G, 1 HR

Peter Moylan

28

RP

ATL

28.1

2.54

3.18

4.13

Doug Slaten

27

RP

AZ

13.2

3.29

3.29

7.90

21 G, 1 HR

Again, we have a collection weighted towards middle relievers already in their primes. Note the presence of two sidearmers (Smith and Moylan). Owings does look like a keeper, and we have not seen top pitching prospects Homer Bailey (soon to make his debut in Cincinnati) and Yovanny Gallardo of Milwaukee. Cameron will need to throw some strikes to be effective long term.

Showing Promise

Batters

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

AB

AVG

SLG

OBP

Other

Chris Young

23

OF

AZ

167

.269

.449

.306

6 SB, 8 BB, 28 K

Carlos Ruiz

28

C

PHI

137

.270

.401

.324

Fred Lewis

26

OF

SF

80

.263

.425

.337

Troy Tulowitzki

22

SS

COL

197

.269

.371

.347

Jarrod Saltamacchia

22

C

ATL

38

.263

.368

.349

Michael Bourn

24

OF

PHI

35

.257

.314

.366

Jesus Flores

25

C

WAS

45

.222

.311

.352

Andy LaRoche

23

3B

LAD

38

.211

.263

.436

15 BB, 5 K

Young is the stud prospect on this list, and does look like he will be a star if he can master the strike zone, but that's a work in progress. Ruiz, at 28, is as good as he will get. Tulowitzki's numbers look good for a 22-year-old shortstop with a cannon arm until you remember that he plays at Coors.

Pitchers

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

IP

ERA

BB/IP

K/IP

Other

Tim Lincecum

23

SP

SF

40

4.05

2.70

8.78

2-0, 29 H

Matt Lindstrom

27

RP

FLA

24

3.75

3.75

8.63

26 G, 0 HR

Lincecum has had some rough outings but will almost assuredly be on the top chart by the end of the year, and looks like a coming star; he is probably the best bet to take the NL Rookie of the Year when all is said and done.

Struggling or Outright Failing

Batters

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

AB

AVG

SLG

OBP

Other

Scott Thorman

25

1B

ATL

155

.219

.400

.256

7 BB, 34 K

Kevin Kouzmanoff

25

3B

SD

146

.205

.363

.273

Chris Iannetta

24

C

COL

87

.184

.310

.318

15 BB, 29 K

Miguel Montero

23

C

AZ

78

.205

.308

.278

Felix Pie

22

OF

CHC

59

.237

.390

.250

1 BB, 12 K

Carlos Gomez

21

OF

NYM

35

.229

.286

.263

3 SB

Kory Casto

25

OF

PIT

54

.130

.167

.158

Like some of the success stories, a number of these guys have had so few at bats that you can't say much except that they haven't contributed anything. In Gomez' case, of course, he wasn't expected to make the majors and was called up before his time to plug an injury hole. Iannetta, by contrast, has had his struggles cost him playing time in a losing battle with journeyman Yorvit Torrealba. Kouzmanoff has been particularly disapointing given his minor league batting record.

Pitchers

PLAYER

Age

Pos

Team

IP

ERA

BB/IP

K/IP

Other

Matt Chico

24

SP

WAS

59.2

5.13

4.22

4.98

3-4, 9 HR

Mike Pelfrey

23

SP

NYM

30.1

6.53

5.04

3.86

0-5, 2 HR

Matt Albers

24

SP

HOU

34.0

6.35

3.71

4.50

1-4, 8 HR

Jonah Bayliss

26

RP

PIT

30.0

6.60

4.20

7.20

31 G

Jon Coutlangus

26

RP

CIN

19,1

5.12

5.12

8.38

26 G

Lavale Speigner

26

RP

WAS

28.2

9.10

5.97

4.40

44 H

Well, rookie pitchers will always break your heart. Pelfrey did manage to keep the ball in the park well, but that's about it.

Good to see an Astro on that list...maybe we can have one good thing come out of this season..ROY...ROY and Roy are about it...El Caballo being a nice addition as well..but what a sad season my Lastros are having...tough to be a fan sometimes...

Posted by: AstrosFan at
June 5, 2007 3:15 PM

You forgot Alex Gordon in the Struggling/Failing section. It is hard to understand, he doesn't look overmatched, but he is not producing.

Posted by: maddirishman at
June 5, 2007 4:13 PM

Gordon was very much on my mind - I didn't overlook him, but this is just the NL side.

Carlos Ruiz should learn how to not ground into double plays with the bases loaded and no one out. Maybe if he were as mature a rookie as Chris Coste, he'd have that figured out.

Posted by: hoyasaxa at
June 5, 2007 10:47 PM

Add Ryan Braun to your showing promise list. 45 AB, 3HR, .311/.347/.578 and showing decent range in the field. He might be getting sent back down due to roster limitations/delaying arbitration, so he wouldn't have the stats to compete for rookie of the year but he does look like he's ready to make a big splash.

Posted by: Joe at
June 6, 2007 12:21 PM

Kooz certainly got off to a rough start -- but if he keeps up the way he's been playing since about May 10 he'll finish the season with a batting average around .270-.280. His BA was was in the .108 on May 7 -- now it's .213. His BA for the Month of May was .303. So far in June it's .286.

I don't think he'll be rookie of the year, but I suspect by season's end his numbers will be respectable.